Recent research indicates that the brain continues to undergo a considerable amount of development throughout adolescence into adulthood increasing teens’ vulnerability to the disruptive effects of both acute and chronic substance use and abuse. Recognizing that adolescence is the period of time when people tend to use alcohol and other drugs, the author defines adolescence as the period of transition from childhood to adulthood. Following a discussion of the ways in which the frontal lobes of the human brain change and develop over time, the author discusses the continually increasing use of marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamines, and heroine among adolescents. Discussing alcohol use and abuse among adolescents, the author details the different effects that this drug has on adolescent and adult behaviors. Adolescents who use alcohol are more sensitive than adults to the effects of alcohol on learning and memory and less sensitive than adults to its sedative qualities and its effects on motor coordination. Long-term usage of alcohol during adolescence not only presents a dangerous combination of effects, but also might reflect brain damage in the long run. References